Property start-ups to shout about (apart from Raffle House 😊)
The face of property is changing rapidly in our data-driven world. While here at Raffle House we’re doing everything we can to revolutionise the way people own houses, there are others trying to change the world too. And all through bricks and mortar.
Have you heard of Lavanda? They’re a start-up that helps people find short term rental opportunities. It could be a solution to a common problem facing tenants in long term rental contracts who want to make a bit of extra cash from their room or home while they’re away. Currently, any tenant wanting to make money from an empty room has had to illegally sublet it. While against the law it happens a lot and Lavanda Residential want to change it.
If the landlord has signed up to the Lavanda service, both them and their tenants can log into the app where the building’s manager, who might also be the landlord, will have allocated the number of days that a tenant can sublet a property in a legal way. The landlord will also get a cut of the money they make.
Could this be a solution to the sublet? Watch this space.
Next up is GetRentr which helps landlords track the latest property regulations, so they can stay within the law. By aggregating all the UK’s property licensing regulations into their system GetRentr can see what changes are happening in local laws at a moment’s notice. For developers with property in different areas they can use the system to check their housing stock is in line with the local laws and then be immediately alert if anything changes. Using both the Land Registry and Ordnance Survey, the tool is a bit like a giant brain that constantly updates.
More landlords signing up also means more tenants could be saved from living in dodgy accommodation. We think that’s a win, win.
The third start-up on the list sits in the commercial retail sector. Appear Here was started up by a then 19-year-old Ross Bailey back in 2012 when he spotted a gap in the market for empty retail spaces. Appear Here’s focus is all about offering retailers and brands access to short term rentals and pop-ups.
It’s targeted at those who would love to open a shop or a café but have been immediately put off by the red tape and high costs.
Since launching, Appear Here has worked with thousands of people giving them access to empty spaces across London for pop-up shops and events. He’s also branched out to Paris and New York in the process. What makes them so good is that they handle the whole complicated process of renting retail space quickly and efficiently.
Could this also be the answer to our beleaguered retail sector? With Debenhams having recently closed its doors for good recently maybe short term lets like this are the future.
A Rent Passport, as the name suggests, gives you access to rental accommodation. By downloading the app renters can build their ‘passport’ by showing that they make regular payments to their landlord which in turn can help them build their credit score. Pretty revolutionary right? For those of us who thought renting was just dead money, finally, there’s a chance to put it to good use. With Canopy’s Rent Passport scheme renters can build a profile that even helps them get new accommodation and not have to pay a hefty deposit through the Deposit Insurance scheme
Canopy sees rental payments as a sign of financial commitment, equivalent to that of a mortgage. So it rewards you for it. They’re currently getting employers to sign up to offer it to employees as a company benefit.
We think deposit-free renting might be the future.
Formerly known as Splittable, this tool is designed to make it easy to transfer bills to a new property and manage them with the others, be it your partner or housemates. Aimed squarely at “Generation Rent” who typically live in shared housing for much longer than their parents ever did, this is all about making things easier as they move around.
Apart from the energy, broadband, water and TV license bills that you can set up and ‘split’ through their service they’ve also started partnering with broadband providers. There’s even an option of choosing renewable energy services too. The sky’s the limit.
